Admin July 10, 2024
10 best summer vacation destinations in the US (2024)
Find your summer vacation destination with this guide to the top 10 spots voted by USA TODAY 10Best readers.
Skyterra Wellness, located in Pisgah Forest, topped a 10Best Reader’s Choice list for best wellness retreat centers in the country in this year’s round of voting by USA TODAY readers.
The award-winning wellness retreat offers a number of programs to guests during stays of a week or more. Sample daily schedules for Skyterra’s wellness getaways include options like sunrise yoga, hiking, fitness classes and more. The Skyterra spa offers a number of treatments including massage, acupuncture, facials and holistic care.
10Best praised Skyterra for small class sizes that offer participants personalized attention, no matter their individual fitness level. In fact, the resort hosts fewer than 35 guests at a time to promote a sense of “intimacy, exclusivity, and a more individualized experience.”
More: Taking a road trip? These Western NC places voted among top 10 in US to stay. What to know.
Skyterra Wellness Retreat
Location: 75 Skyterra Way, Pisgah Forest.
Info: Call 828-672-2481 or visit skyterrawellness.com/wellness-retreat.
Skyterra originally opened as a holistic health retreat in June 2016. This year wasn’t its first time receiving recognition. In fact, the retreat has been nominated for 10Best lists seven years in a row in its eight year history and has been voted among the top three wellness retreat for the past six years. This includes previous wins as top retreat in the country in 2018 and 2023.
General Manager Teresa Ostler spoke about Skyterra’s mission in a news release.
“We meet each of our guests where they are on their wellness journey and welcome everyone here,” Ostler said. “Anyone who wants to invest in their physical, emotional and/or mental health long-term receives personalized attention from our staff in a welcoming and safe environment.”
The news release named some of Skyterra’s many amenities including the following:
- Nine miles of walking trails that crisscross streams and lead to a waterfall.
- Separate newly built lodges for each guest.
- A self-contained spa just for guests.
- A main building housing classrooms, fitness spaces, indoor and outdoor yoga rooms, a kitchen, teaching kitchen and a dining room with expansive mountain views.
- Indoor pool, sauna and hot tub.
- Outdoor living center with three pickleball courts, a stage for outdoor concerts, archery and a dog run.
“Whenever you’re ready to improve your quality of life, we are here for you,” Ostler said.
More: French Broad, Nantahala rivers voted top 10 in US for adventuring on the water: Here’s why
10Best wellness retreat centers
The full 10Best Readers’ Choice list for best wellness retreat centers included:
- Skyterra Wellness Retreat – Pisgah Forest, North Carolina
- Eupepsia Wellness Resort – Bland, Virginia
- Art of Living Retreat Center – Boone, North Carolina
- Omega Institute For Holistic Studies – Rhinebeck, New York
- Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing – Cragsmoor, New York
- Himalayan Institute – Honesdale, Pennsylvania
- Hilton Head Health – Hilton Head, South Carolina
- Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village – Westlake Village, California
- The Ranch Malibu – Mailbu, California
- Sensei Porcupine Creek – Rancho Mirage, California
More: Hiking trails, concert series, scenic train rides: Western NC summer options voted top 10 in US
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
